Plug-switch.



W. F. MESCHENMOSER.

PLUG SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED ocT.20. I9II.

Patented 0ct.19,1915.

`IIIMm [NVE/WOR WILLIAM F. MESCHENMOSER, OF NEW DORP, NEW YORK.

PLUG-SWITCH.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 19, 1915.

Application med october 2o. 1911. seriai'No. 655,728.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that l, VViLLrAvr F. MEscunN- MOSER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New Dorp, in the county of Richmond and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Plug-Switches, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to connectors Vor plug switches for electric circuits, the object being to provide means for supporting the cable in a plug switch in such manner that the plug may be removed from its receptacle by pulling the cable and the strain of the pull will not be transmitted to the connections between the conductors and their contacts. i

A further object is to provide a simple and efficient 'type of electric connector or plug switch which will maintain its etliciency under hard usage. I

It is also the object to provide snnple means to assure that the members of the connector will always be coupled in the same relation, thus assuring that the contact devices will not be unduly strainedfrom their position.

The invention consists 1n the improved parts, combinations of parts and details of construction of the plug-receptacle switch or electric connector hereinafter more particularly described and then speciied 1n the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 illustrates a central longitudinal section through a plug having a cable comprising two conductors secured thereto in accordance with this invention, parts being shown in elevation. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the receptacle member of the connector constructed in accordance with this invention, and which coperates with the plug shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 3, 3 Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the insulating block preferably employed in the plug shown 1n Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a similar view of the 1nsulating block shown in the receptacle Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the supporting or clamping bushing in its preferred form.

In the drawings A and B represent respectively the male and female members of an electric connector, or the plug and receptacle respectively of a plug-receptacle switch. The member A has a casing 1 of metal or any other suitable material, which surrounds and supportsthe various parts and devices of the plug, the casing being open at one end and at the other terminates 1n a collar or sleeve 2 having a central open lng, the inner walls 3 of which are tapered preferably in a direction such that the smaller bore of the opening will be at the outer edge of the collar. 4 indicates a block of insulating material of any desired character such as a compressed and solidified mass of a mica compound, fiber, or porcelain fitting snugly within the casing 1 and secured thereto in any desired manner, as by a transverse screw 5, the block being positioned against stops in the form of lugs 6 integral with the casing l.

The front face 7 of the block 4 is located some distance back from the mouth of the casing and the block is provided with a pair of contact pins 8 and 9 projecting from the face 7, the ends of which preferably do not rotrude beyond the edge of the casing 1. .lach Contact pin is located in a suitably formed passage in the block 4 and is provided at its back end with a socket or recess in which the bared ends of the conductors are secured as will be presently described.

Each contact-pin is loosely tted into the passage in the contact block 4 to permit it to have a slight transverse sidewise play therein limited by the walls of the passage and is secured in the passage by pin 10 passing transversely through the solid part of the contact-pin as shown. The contact-pin itself operates as a plug itting into a socket in the coperating member by endwise movement in the usual way.

As will be seen. the plug is substantially supported and maintained in position for cooperation with the socket by the walls of the passage-way and in this respect operates in substantially the same manner as if it were rigidly xed or iitted into the passage. By making the pin slightly less in diameter than the bore or passage and fastening it by the pin 10 a slightly limited sidewise play is provided for the purpose to be presently mentioned.

11 indicates a cable which in the present case is composed of two insulated conductors 12, 13 bound together by the usual insulation covering to form the cable 11. The cable passes into the casing through the opening in the collar 2, the conductors l2, 13 separating within the casing and the 'in its support. Also it will bared end of each being secured in the sockets or recesses in the ends of the contact pins S and 9 respectively. Preferably the endsof the conductors are soldered to the contacts by filling the recesses with molten solder and insecting the bared ends .and allowing the solder to set. By employing thls manner of securing the conductors to the contacts and the mounting of the contacts by the pins as described, a good connection. is at all times assured and there is no liabihty of the conductors working loose as in the case where they are secured by a clamping screw which also serves to secure the contacts to their supports. Y

14 indicates a bushin located in the opening in the collar 2 an between it and the cable 11. The bushing may be made of metal or any suitable insulating material, and is preferably divided longitudinally into two parts. so that the sides of the bushing can yield and vary the diameter of the bushing to effect the clamping action on the cable 11 although such yielding side walls may be otherwise attained. The outer periphery.of the bushing is tapered to conform to the tapered hole in the collar 2 and the inner peripliery is provided with a serrated surface, as by forming teeth of projections 16 which bite into the insulation covering of the cable 11. The biting surface of the bushing may have the projecting parts formed in any desired manner and they may be of any desired disposition or form, that in the case illustrated being formed by forming screw threads on the interior surface ofthe bushg. The bared ends of the conductors are secured to the contacts before the block is fastened in the casing and the two halves of the bushing are applied around the cable. The

against the stops 6 and secured in place. The bushing 14 then takes the position shown and any further binds the bushing tighter on the cable and clamps it more firmly to its support in the collar 2 so that the strain ofthe pull is taken entirely by the support in the collar 2, andis not transmitted to the connections between the bared ends of the individual conductors 12, 13 and the contacts 8, 9. Thus the plug A can be pulled apart from -its receptacle without danger of disturbing the connections between the conductors and contacts. Also it will be observed that as the cable 11 stretches due to the pull, or the insulation compresses, the tapered surfaces automatically take up such variation in the thickness ofthe cable and maintain the binding or clamping action of the cable be noted that a pullor a push on the cable, inthe reverse Each part is split as at 15' through the opening pull on the cable merely e with the insulating block 4 and located transversely thereof, prevents arcing from the conductor 12 to the cpnductor 13 should the insulation break down. Thi-s barrier for convenience .also serves as the stop to prevent the inward movement of the bushing 14 by engaging its inner edge when the block 4 is fastened to the casing.

The female member o-f the connector corresponding to the receptacle for a plug switch is'organized in a similar manner to that described in connection with. the plug or male member A. The insulating block 19, however, extends beyond the outer edge of the -casing 20 and is adapted to fit into the mouth of the casing 1. The block is secured to the casing 20 in the same manner as the block 4, and the conductor cable 21 is supported by the casing 20 as described with regard to the cable 11. The contact sockets 22, 23 are provided with spring sleves 24 into` which the contacts 8 and 9 enter and loose in the block 19 and are held thereto by pins 25 passing transversely through a solid part of the contact and on which pins the contacts have a slight pivotal movement to permit them to conform to the contact pins 8 and 9 and thereby assure a good connection.

26 indicates an insulating barrier or partition depending from and integral with the block 4 and located between the contact pins 8 and 9 and serving to prevent any arcing from one contact to the other. This barrier is disposed transversely of the block 4 but does not extend quite the full width thereof. Thev contact sockets 22 and 23 being embedded in the material of the block 19, the material between the two sockets forms an insulating barrier, the ends of the sockets being below the edge of the block 19. A recess 27 is formed in the material of the block 19 between the contact sockets of a size corresponding to the barrier 26 of the plug A, the recess merely extending partly across the block 19. When coupling the two members ofthe connector, the barrier 26 enters the recess 27, and by the construction shown,

in exactly the same relation if one of the members be rotated 180O and to force the coupling of the members if they do not line up properly results in loosening the connections and destroying the switch.

The invention is not limited to the details of construction and combination of parts as shown and described, they being for the purpose of illustration only, but various modications may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is;

1. A plug switch member comprising an insulating block, plug contact-pins adapted to entersockets in the cooperating member of the connector by endwise movement of the plug-switch member and loosely fitted into passages in the block to permit sidewise,

play limited by the walls of the passage, said contact-pins having recesses in which the bared ends of the conductors are secured and transverse pins adapted to secure the contact pins to said block, said transverse pins entering a solid part of the Contact pins and out of engagement with the bared ends of said conductors.

2. A plug switch member comprising an insulating block, having' passages in whichY solid contact-pins are litted with an allowance for slight sidewisedplay, said contactpins having the bared en s of the conductors soldered to them, and means for pivotally mounting said contact pins in said block to permit slight sidewise movement of the pin in the passage in the block limited by the side walls thereof, said means engaging said contacts remote from the bared ends of the conductors.

3. A plug receptacle comprising an insulating block, spring contact sleeves loosely fitted into passages in said block to permit slight sidewise play limited by the walls of the passage and having recesses in which the bared ends of the conductors are soldered and transverse pins loosely and pivotally mounting said contact sleeves in said block, said pins entering a solid part of said contacts remote from the ends of the conductors.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 18th day of October, A. D. 1911.

WILLIAM F. MESCHENMOSER.

Witnesses:

M. A. PORTER, F. B. TowNsENn 

